The BBC's vinyl collection is coveted among record collectors, known for its shelves of obscure ethnographic recordings, lost TV music and rare oddities from across the genres. Verity is joined by musical curator and DJ, co-founder of Finders Keepers Records, Andy Votel. Andy's un-blinkered appreciation and promotion of musical lost-property crosses multiple genres and language barriers, and has resulted in a constantly mutating career transcending wide pop-cultural circles. Together they dive in to what the archive has to offer, before Verity takes her haul back to the studio to enjoy one and a half hours of vinyl hiss and crackle.

Expect folk music for insects, rare French library records, Ethiopian polyphonies, Daevid Allen's first tape meanderings and music concrete from Belgium by Karel Goeyvaerts on IPEM, a record that almost killed Andy Votel the last time he went looking for it.

"There is so much depth in the music. I just find more in it each time I go back to it." On the first anniversary of Prince's death, Alexis Taylor provides a live Desert Island Disco mix featuring a selection of the purple one’s finest music.

Can are one of the most influential experimental groups of the twentieth century. Their heavily rhythmic, minimal music led the way in the so-called Krautrock movement and for many redefined what it meant to be a popular band. Max Reinhardt presents an interview with members of the band, ahead of a Barbican performance where founding member Irmin Schmidt will premiere an orchestral reinterpretation of classic Can material alongside new work with the London Symphony Orchestra. Max is joined by Irmin Schmidt and will remember drummer Jaki Liebezeit who sadly passed away in January this year.

Sunday, 28 May 2017

ROB YOUNG - LATE JUNCTION: CAN MIXTAPE (320kbs-m4a/68mb/30mins)BBC Radio 3 broadcast: 4th April 2017Max Reinhardt celebrates krautrock pioneers Can, with a mixtape from their biographer Rob Young ahead of Can's 50th anniversary concert. Rob draws out the multifaceted roots of the band and deconstructs their pioneering, unique sound. Members of the band will join Max live in the studio later this week.

Saturday, 27 May 2017

Magnetic Fields frontman Stephin Merritt has just completed a 50-song concept album, for which he wrote one song about each year of his life so far. Nonetheless, he has found time to put together a Late Junction Mixtape too, following on the heels of recent compilers Genesis P-Orridge, Beatrice Dillon, and Fenriz. Merritt's mix is bookended by atonal, instrumental oddities, but the meat of it comes from his love of unlikely cover versions. Featured artists include Klaus Nomi covering Lou Christie and Mrs. Miller covering Cole Porter.

Paul Morley traces the winding path taken by record labels during the 80's and 90's in the company of such label bosses as Lucian Grainge, Mike Smith, Tony Wadsworth, Geoff Travis, Alan McGee, Lawrence Bell, Jonathan Poneman, Martin Mills, Steve Beckett and Seymour Stein (the men responsible for Universal Music, Columbia, EMI, Rough Trade, Creation, Domino, Sub Pop, Beggars, Warp and Sire). Would the CD bring untold wealth and expansion or sow the potential seeds of destruction for the record industry? Or would following a more traditional artist-centred way of operating save the day?

With the help of Jac Holzman, Morty Craft, Marshall Chess, Chris Wright and Simon Draper, the record men behind such labels as Elektra, Warwick, Chess, Chrysalis and Virgin, Paul Morley charts the changing relationship between artists and labels, and explores how record companies developed their own distinctiveness around the taste and style of certain individuals. To what extent did these maverick talent spotters, playboys, dreamers, moneymen and taste-makers mould the shape and momentum of popular music for decades to come?

Paul Morley and his guests consider how technological changes and record companies have influenced the music we listen to.

With the help of Jac Holzman, Morty Craft, Marshall Chess, Chris Wright and Simon Draper, the record men behind such labels as Elektra, Warwick, Chess, Chrysalis and Virgin, Paul Morley charts the changing relationship between artists and labels, and explores how record companies developed their own distinctiveness around the taste and style of certain individuals. To what extent did these maverick talent spotters, playboys, dreamers, moneymen and taste-makers mould the shape and momentum of popular music for decades to come?

His first conversation is with a man better known for his life in science fiction, George Takei, the Japanese American actor who played Sulu in the TV series, Star Trek. They discuss the voyages of the Starship Enterprise and the ideas of other worlds featured in Star Trek. He talks about his own epic life journey – how his family was imprisoned when the US joined the Second World War and his campaigning against social injustice.

Thursday, 18 May 2017

THE CHUCK BERRY STORY - 6. EPISODE 6 (320kbs-m4a/62mb/27mins)BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 26th April 2017Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was also one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey.

This final edition recalls Berry's 70s career, which included the uncharacteristic novelty number one My Ding-a-Ling. Jack White from the White Stripes discusses Berry's legacy, with plus contributions from British guitarists Big Jim Sullivan and Jimmy Page as well as keyboard player Ian McLagan and Bruce Springsteen.

Wednesday, 17 May 2017

THE CHUCK BERRY STORY - 5. EPISODE 5 (320kbs-m4a/62mb/27mins)BBC Radio 6 Music broadcast: 25th April 2017Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was also one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey.

This fifth episode explores the influence of Berry on key British acts of the mid-60s, including the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and the Animals.

Tuesday, 16 May 2017

Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was also one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey.

This edition recalls Berry's 1962 conviction under the Mann Act, which resulted in 18 months' imprisonment and also inspired classics such as Promised Land, Nadine and No Particular Place to Go.

Monday, 15 May 2017

Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was also one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey.

Part 3 recalls more of Berry's influences, including Nat King Cole's Calypso Blues, which inspired Berry's Havana Moon, which in turn inspired the rock'n'roll classic Louie Louie. Plus a look at Berry's touring with the likes of Fats Domino and Frankie Lymon and the appeal of his lyrics for teenagers. First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2003.

Sunday, 14 May 2017

Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was also one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey.

Part 2 recalls Chuck's upbringing in St Louis, Missouri, a rare recording of the Cubans, a few of his greatest "car" songs and Maybellene. First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2003.

Saturday, 13 May 2017

Chuck Berry, who died on 18th March 2017 aged 90, was a pioneering and highly influential singer, songwriter and guitarist. Known as the Shakespeare of rock 'n' roll, he was one of its founding fathers. There's another chance to hear a 6-part series first broadcast in 2003, presented by Who vocalist and Berry fan, Roger Daltrey. This first episode offers a look at Chuck's seminal 50s Chess recordings and his enormous significance for British acts. First broadcast on BBC Radio 2 in 2003.

Friday, 12 May 2017

Richard Hawley travels the length and breadth of the country on a unique tour of the coast.

In this programme he explores some of the UK's most famous shipwrecks. He hears tales of sightings of ghost ships and finds out more about the British institutions which have long existed to keep sailors safe. The programme starts with boatman and former diver David Chamberlain, who used to work near Goodwin Sands who explains why it is the deadliest site for shipwrecks in Britain, responsible for the sinking of around 2000 ships. This lethal sandbank has inspired some of the UK's top writers from Shakespeare to Daniel Defoe. In Cornwall Richard dispels the myths about bands of wreckers, which were popularised in Daphne Du Maurier's book Jamaica Inn. In Liverpool Richard is treated to a private performance of one of his favourite songs of all time, The Wreck of Ellan Vannin sung by ex Spinners frontman Hughie Jones. In Filey in North Yorkshire, the Filey Fisherman's choir sing a version of Lower Lights and Three Score and Ten, which are classic Christian hymns about community, safety and loss of life at sea.

We hear from author and maritime expert Angus Konstam about the Titanic and the Flying Dutchman, broadcaster Ian Clayton describes the events surrounding the Hull Trawler Disaster and finally Jarvis Cocker explains why he chose Sailing By as one of his Desert Island Discs. Jarvis also explains why the Shipping Forecast is important to him as an artist and Carol Ann Duffy recites one of her greatest poems, Prayer.

Thursday, 11 May 2017

Richard Hawley continues his tour of the coast. He investigates how jobs in seafaring industries have produced a wealth of music - from sea shanties to workers union songs sung by a shipbuilders' choir and communist pop songs. Richard travels from Cornwall to Aberdeen stopping off in Liverpool and north Yorkshire.

In Liverpool he meets shanty singer and ex-frontman with 60's band The Spinners, Hughie Jones, who explains the different types of shanty that relate to jobs on board ship. In Cornwall Richard speaks to local historian Tony Pawlyn about the history of smuggling in Falmouth. Tony also describes how piracy affected the southwest coast, particularly the invasions by Algerian corsairs, who captured whole towns and villages in the 18th Century. In the sleepy fishing village Robin Hood's Bay, broadcaster and writer Ian Clayton introduces us to a song about press gangs and the practice of capturing men for forced labour in the British Navy.

In Aberdeen Richard visits the maritime museum to find out about the importance of shipbuilding to the local area. We hear recordings of the Hall and Russell shipyard male voice choir, which were recorded in the late 1930's. We also speak to Soft Machine's Robert Wyatt about his song Ship Building, which was written by Elvis Costello and released around the time of the Falkland's War. It's an ode to the predicament of the British working class who were becoming expendable both on the battle field and off it, in the ship building industry that expanded to support the war. Finally we meet Richard's old bandmate Jarvis Cocker. Together Jarvis and Richard once recorded a sea shanty, A Drop of Nelson's Blood, and Jarvis explains how it came together.

Richard investigates spirituality, religion, superstition and mysticism in sea-faring towns. We visit Filey in North Yorkshire where the Filey Fisherman's choir, a Methodist preaching band, sings about the parallels between spiritual salvation and literal rescue from stormy seas. At the Aberdeen Maritime Museum, Richard is shown a boat shaped alter, where families of sailors would pray for their safety.

Religion has played an important part in sea faring towns but, when your life is at the mercy of the ocean, it's good to have as many higher authorities on your side as possible and in Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire, folk singers Mike and Norma Waterson talk about pagan rituals and a reverence for the sea god Oceana, which was also common amongst sailors.Richard will discover that it's not just pagan gods and the Christian God who play a huge part in the lives of sailors and people who live on the coast. In Cornwall and Devon we will hear stories about mermaids and selkies and other mythical sea creatures and monsters that feature heavily in folk songs and stories in coastal towns.

Finally, in Glasgow Richard speaks to Belle and Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch about some of the most important fantasy novels written about life on the ocean and how the idea of going to sea has inspired some of the UK's most important novelists.

Programme one looks at the sea as a great trafficker of people and the songs and stories written about people leaving and visiting the UK. On his tour of the coast from Cornwall to Aberdeen, stopping off in Liverpool, North Yorkshire and Glasgow, Richard speaks to songwriters, folklorists, historians and poets to find out how the tradition of writing about emigration and immigration has developed over time.

With contributions from The Watersons in Robin Hood's Bay near Whitby, Stuart Murdoch in Glasgow, Aberdeen's city council historian, a shanty choir in Devon and poet Simon Armitage, to name a few, this programme will investigate the reasons why people have set sail towards life in a foreign land at various periods in British history.

Monday, 8 May 2017

In the summer of 1987 Britain's best loved indie band abruptly came to end when guitarist Johnny Marr sensationally quit. The Morrissey/Marr partnership that had produced such a wealth of finely crafted pop tunes was over, just weeks after the group finished recording their fourth album, "Strangeways, Here We Come." Since then, all four band members have separately pronounced the LP as their best work. Bass player Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce also claim that, at the time, they were blissfully unaware of any conflict. So what happened?

In this final part of the Swansong series, Stuart Maconie examines the circumstances surrounding the final recording by The Smiths, revealing the reasons behind one of the most famous breakups in British pop history. With new interviews from Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and producer Stephen Street and contributions from music journalist Sian Pattenden and Morrissey biographer Simon Goddard.

One of the most extraordinary aspects of the film, television, stage and radio career that made Sir Alec the most successful British character actor of the 20th century was his apparent talent for anonymity. Laurence Olivier, Alec Guinness' mentor and co-star, famously described him as 'a dark horse' in a leading article in Time Magazine.

A remarkably good mimic, Sir Alec preferred, it seemed, to define himself by the roles he played. Was he really the scholarly, unworldly artist he appeared to be? He was a diarist, raconteur, and polished Hollywood operator, who turned self-deprecation into an art-form, took pride in not being recognised and disliked showmanship.

Alistair McGowan examines the many contradictions in the life of this enigmatic man through archive of interviews with the actor himself and those who knew him well.

Saturday, 6 May 2017

The Band - Baby Don't Do ItThe Band - The Shape I'm InThe Band - It Makes No DifferenceThe Band - The WeightThe Band - King Harvest (Has Surely Come)The Band - TwilightThe Band - OpheliaThe Band & Bob Dylan - Tears Of RageThe Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie DownThe Band - Chest FeverThe Band - Up On Cripple CreekThe Band - The W.S. Walcott Medicine Show

Friday, 5 May 2017

Stuart Braithwaite of Mogwai slects this documentary in which Ruby Turner tells the extraordinary story of the guitar-playing gospel singer, Sister Rosetta Tharpe.

Rosetta was one of the most innovative gospel musicians of her time. In her music you can hear blues, R & B and rock 'n' roll and she influenced the likes of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard.

When she married, 20,000 people attended the wedding in a baseball stadium, yet when she died she was buried in an unmarked grave.

Ruby Turner charts her rise to fame and popularity and subsequent demise in a documentary that was first broadcast on Radio 2.

Thursday, 4 May 2017

To complement the 6 Music Festival in Glasgow, we repeat highlights of a series in which musician Davie Scott reveals the stories behind classic Scottish albums.

In this episode, first broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2006, Davie Scott considers Aztec Camera's 1983 release High Land, Hard Rain, which blended infectious tunes and mature lyrics to create a debut with a very distinctive Scottish take on the world.

To complement the 6 Music Festival, taking place this year in Glasgow, we repeat highlights of a series in which musician Davie Scott reveals the stories behind classic Scottish albums.

In this episode, first broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2005, Davie Scott talks to Edwyn Collins and friends to reveal the remarkable stories about Orange Juice's 1982 classic, You Can't Hide Your Love Forever.

Monday, 1 May 2017

To complement the 6 Music Festival, taking place this year in Glasgow, we repeat highlights of a series in which musician Davie Scott reveals the stories behind classic Scottish albums.

In this episode, first broadcast on BBC Radio Scotland in 2011 Davie looks at Al Stewart's Year of the Cat, released in 1976.

We hear how its escapiosm resonated with UK listeners mired in strikes and unemployment. It was a far cry from Al Stewart's humble beginnings. As he tells it in one of his songs, "I came up to London when I was 19 with a corduroy jacket and a head full of dreams." A poetic singer-songwriter born in Glasgow, he moved to Dorset before falling in with the folk scene. So far, so Donovan, but then Al's story splinters off into peculiarly unique directions.

He bought his first guitar from Andy Sumners of The Police, shared a flat with Paul Simon and gave Yoko Ono all his money for an exhibition of naked bottoms. That came before landing in the US Top 5 with his 1976 album Year of the Cat. The single of the same name is a dreamy, meandering epic about a life changing meeting between a naïve young traveller and a worldly hippy. It's absolutely of it's time, but continues to get airplay around the world and has helped Al secure high-profile friends and admirers such as Tori Amos, Jimmy Page, Bert Jansch and Rick Wakeman.